Instant scratch-off lottery tickets are generally supplied to retail vending locations in the form of individual rolls or folded packs (also referred to as “packs” or “books”) of interconnected tickets, wherein perforation lines separate the ends of adjacent tickets. The common edge between adjacent tickets extends perpendicular to the top side and bottom side of each ticket. The tickets include any manner of indicia and graphics, as well as a play area wherein one or more game symbols are covered with a scratch-off coating. For dispensing, the lead ticket is torn from the pack or roll along the perforation line. The packs or rolls may be loaded into a dispenser wherein the leading ticket is pulled through a dispensing slot prior to being separated.
The scratch-off lottery tickets are typically mass produced in a high-speed production line that includes a perforating machine that defines the perforation line between adjacent tickets. With the conventional machinery and methods, however, the perforation line profile is defined by the mechanical cutter profile and cannot vary unless the manufacturing line is stopped and the cutter is exchanged for another that produces a different perforation profile. Even between different ticket production runs, it is a relatively complicated and time consuming procedure to change out the mechanical cutter at the perforation station, which may be necessary when a change is made in the paper stock to be processed into the lottery tickets. Thus, the inability to quickly and reliably change perforation profiles either between production runs or mid-stream of a production run is a particular disadvantage with conventional systems and methods.
The present invention provides a solution to the problem noted above, as well as adding additional functionalities to the perforation process in lottery ticket production lines.